For a long time, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) was indistinguishable from Raila Odinga himself.
Before ODM became a party of the Kenyan people, it was first and foremost Raila Odinga’s political home — shaped by his personality, sustained by his charisma and held together by his authority.
That era is now drawing to a close, and the consequences are beginning to show.
As things stand, ODM is facing internal tremors that threaten to capsize the party well before the 2027 General Election.
At the heart of the turmoil is a fundamental question the party appears unprepared to answer: what becomes of ODM after President William Ruto completes his first term?
One faction within the party, led by figures such as chairperson Gladys Wanga and party leader Oburu Odinga, appears open to aligning with President Ruto in a broad political coalition.
Their argument, implicit or otherwise, is rooted in political survival — a belief that proximity to power offers relevance in a post-Raila political landscape.
On the other side stands ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, pulling the party in the opposite direction. Sifuna insists there is no agreement binding ODM to President Ruto and dismisses the notion of endorsing Ruto for a second term as premature, if not reckless.
His blunt “wantam” rhetoric may excite some supporters, but it has also deepened internal fault lines.
What makes the situation more unsettling is the public nature of the infighting. Internal party disagreements are no longer confined to boardrooms or strategy meetings.
Funeral gatherings have turned into arenas for political chest-thumping, with leaders openly trading accusations before mourners and cameras alike.
Even more damaging are the claims now circulating in public: allegations that former President Uhuru Kenyatta possesses billions of shillings to “buy” ODM, claims made without hesitation by Minority Leader Junet Mohamed.
In response, Gladys Wanga has urged Uhuru to distance himself from the party altogether, accusing him of sabotaging ODM from within.
Uhuru Kenyatta, speaking at the burial of former MP Cyrus Jirongo, fired back indirectly, accusing unnamed leaders of sycophancy and intellectual dishonesty — telling them to stop engaging in what he termed foolish talk. His remarks only added fuel to an already raging fire.
The contradictions within ODM have since become impossible to ignore. While Sifuna apologised to Uhuru over Junet’s remarks, he simultaneously accused party insiders of having consumed Uhuru’s campaign resources “like termites” during the 2022 election.
He went further, alleging that Junet Mohamed was the chief beneficiary of those funds and that resources meant for ODM agents mysteriously vanished.
Such public accusations are not merely embarrassing; they are corrosive. They expose a party struggling to manage succession, loyalty and accountability all at once.
Calls for restraint have since emerged from figures such as Otiende Amollo and Millie Odhiambo, who warn that rushing to remove Sifuna as secretary-general could be more dangerous than the crisis itself.
Their appeal is ideological rather than emotional — a recognition that ODM risks tearing itself apart by mistaking dissent for disloyalty.
ODM’s problem is not just leadership wrangles. It is an identity crisis. For years, Raila Odinga served as the glue that held competing ambitions in check. With his diminished presence, unresolved tensions are now erupting uncontrollably.
The real danger for ODM is not Edwin Sifuna, Uhuru Kenyatta or even William Ruto. It is the absence of a clear post-Raila vision. Without one, every funeral becomes a battlefield, every statement a provocation, and every disagreement a threat to the party’s survival.
If ODM does not urgently redefine itself — ideologically, structurally and strategically — it risks entering the 2027 election season already wounded, divided and distracted.
